re: 5 Years Outlook For A Given Career

I always told myself at 5 years I became marketable and should look around, even if just for comparison.

I began to feel my skill set with my company was underutilized and there was not any plan to eventually progress in the company. The only "Sr" level positions would remain occupied for at least 10 more years, and there were about 5 of us vying for those 3 spots.

Ultimately, I made a change and feel great about. I love my new position and the responsibilities I have. It resulted in a nice salary bump with very similar benefits. Right now I feel I have a direction for the next few years, but after leaving one place, I'm much more open to another change in the future. I worked with a lot of people who claim they'd never leave their company, even for significant amounts of money (one discussion put it in the $250k range). I was once in this camp, but after leaving and getting experience with another similar company, I feel that is very valuable.

So, if you are heading in the right direction for your career and your goals, by all means stay and continue being successful. But don't be afraid to keep and eye on the market and jump at a great opportunity (mine was dumped on me from a random email on LinkedIn).